Department of Defense November 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA, 42 United States Code [U.S.C.] 4321-4347), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA Regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] Parts 1500-1508), and the United States Air Force's (USAF) Environmental Impact Analysis Process (EIAP, 32 CFR Part 989), the Air Force is preparing an EIS to consider the proposed action of establishing the CBAT program. This NOI describes the Air Force's proposed alternatives, scoping process, and identifies the Air Force's point of contact. As part of the proposal, the Air Force will analyze potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed development of administrative, instructional, and living areas (referred to as the CBAT Campus) for CBAT students and instructors, as well as utilization of areas for ground training operations. Purpose: The purpose of this action is for AETC to establish a CBAT course in order to further expand ground combat skills and give all Airmen a baseline or common skill set. The course would be implemented in three Phases, beginning with Phase I, which would train approximately 1,353 Airmen. Phase II would add 6,365 students, and Phase III provides training for an additional 6,692 Airmen. Full implementation of CBAT would result in training approximately 14,410 Airmen annually in combat small arms firing, basics of land navigation, small unit tactics, and combative skills, along with a daily physical training regimen. The average daily number of personnel that would be present for CBAT at full implementation (to include instructors, base support, and students) would be approximately 2,600. CBAT would be held year-round, with each course lasting 25 days, 10 hours per day, Monday through Friday. Throughout the initial implementation of each phase, personnel, facilities and infrastructure, and field training areas would be added to the selected installation. The end of Phase III would include a total of 166 new buildings at 124,192 square meters added to the installation. Additionally, by Phase III, approximately 9,000 acres (approximately 36.5 square km) of land would be required for CBAT field training in standardized basic small unit tactics, such as how to react to an enemy ambush (which would include the use of blank-fire ammunition and simulated munitions) and practical day and night land navigation training. Alternatives: The Air Force used a multi-disciplined team (e.g., trainers, civil engineers, environmental engineers, and attorneys) to develop criteria for choosing where the CBAT course would be located. Applying the selection criteria in stages narrowed the alternatives first to 64 and later to just 3 Air Force installations located within the Continental United States. Those 3 installations are Arnold Air Force Base (AFB) in Tennessee, Barksdale AFB in Louisiana, and Moody AFB in Georgia. These three bases and the no action alternative are the alternatives that will be evaluated in the EIS. There is sufficient area on Arnold AFB and Barksdale AFB to support the campus and field training areas. There is insufficient land available to support the field training requirements on Moody AFB, so selection of Moody would necessitate acquiring additional land by purchase or lease. The no action alternative will evaluate current conditions and trends, projected into the future, for comparative purposes. Scoping: In order to effectively define the full range of issues to be evaluated in the EIS, the Air Force will determine the scope of the document (i.e., what will be covered, and in what detail) by soliciting scoping comments from interested state and Federal agencies and the interested public via this Federal Register and notices in the local areas of concern. Comments should be forwarded to the address below, by the date indicated. The Air Force will also hold a series of scoping meetings to further solicit input concerning the scope of the proposed action and alternatives.

This document amends the final rule published on the national plan for security control of air traffic during air defense emergencies to make administrative adjustments and includes correcting the effective date of the final rule, and removes references to State and regional disaster airlift (SARDA), rescinded by the Federal Aviation Administration on March 17, 2005.

DoD is proposing to amend the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to address requirements for the distribution of material inspection and receiving reports under DoD contracts. The proposed rule clarifies that copies of the Wide Area WorkFlow-Receipt and Acceptance (WAWF-RA) report must be distributed with a shipment, when WAWF-RA is used to satisfy material inspection and receiving report requirements.

DoD has adopted as final, with changes, an interim rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to update policy relating to trade agreements. The rule incorporates increased dollar thresholds for application of the World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement and the Free Trade Agreements, implements a new Free Trade Agreement with Morocco, and amends the list of end products subject to trade agreements.

In accordance with 35 U.S.C. 209(e) and 37 CFR 404.7(a)(I)(i), announcement is made of the intent to grant an exclusive, royalty- bearing, revocable license to U.S. patent number 6,878,100 issued April 12, 2005 entitled ``Force Sensing Treadmill,'' to Advanced Mechanical Technology, Inc. with its principal place of business at 176 Waltham Street, Watertown, MA 02472-4800.

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency is amending a system of records notice to its existing inventory of record systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended.

The Defense Science Board Task Force on Time Critical Conventional Strike from Strategic Standoff will meet in closed session on November 28 and 29, 2006; at the Science Applications International Corporation, 4001 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA. The mission of the Defense Science Board is to advise the Secretary of Defense and the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics on scientific and technical matters as they affect the perceived needs of the Department of Defense. At these meetings, the Defense Science Board Task Force will: Assess the various attributes associated with time critical conventional strike. In accordance with Section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Pub. L. 92-463, as amended (5 U.S.C. App. II), it has been determined that these Defense Science Board Task Force meetings concern matters listed in 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(1) and that, accordingly, the meetings will be closed to the public.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Secretariat is submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of a currently approved information collection requirement concerning contractors' purchasing systems reviews. A request for public comments was published in the Federal Register at 71 FR 38866 on July 10, 2006. No comments were received. Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the FAR, and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways in which we can minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through the use of appropriate technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Pursuant to Section 9355, Title 10, United States Code, the U.S. Air Force Academy Board of Visitors will meet at the Pentagon on November 15, 2006, and at the House Armed Services Committee Conference Room in the Rayburn Building in Washington, DC on November 16, 2006. The purpose of the meeting is to consider the morale and discipline, curriculum, instruction, physical equipment, fiscal affairs, academic methods, and other matters relating to the Academy. A portion of the meeting will be open to the public while the other will be closed to the public to discuss matters listed in Paragraphs (2) and (6) of Subsection (c) of Section 552b, Title 5, United States Code. The determination to close one session is based on the consideration that portions of the briefings and discussion will relate to information of a personal nature that, if disclosed, would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. The balance of the closed session will address the internal policies and administrative practices of the Board of Visitors of the Academy. Meeting sessions will be held in the House Armed Services Committee Conference Room in the Rayburn Building in Washington, DC. A delay in publishing this notification within fifteen, calendar days resulted from the need to ensure proper administrative coordination and approval to close a portion of the meeting.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Secretariat will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of a currently approved information collection requirement concerning cost accounting standards administration. A request for public comments was published in the Federal Register at 71 FR 40998, July 19, 2006. No public comments were received. The clearance currently expires on January 31, 2007. Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the FAR, and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways in which we can minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through the use of appropriate technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency is exempting those records in a new system of records (HDTRA 021, ``Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Case Files'' (August 7, 2006, 71 FR 44668)) in its inventory of systems of records pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended.

The Baltimore District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is withdrawing its intent to prepare a DEIS for the Baltimore Metropolitan Water Resources StudyGwynns Falls in Baltimore County, Maryland. The Notice of Intent for the DEIS was published in the Federal Register on July 9, 1996 (Volume 61, Number 132, Page 36038). Negative environmental impacts of the recommended plan are not significant and the Corps has determined that a DEIS is not appropriate.

In accordance with 37 CFR 404.6 and 404.7, announcement is made of the availability for licensing of U.S. Patent Application No. 11/133,444 entitled ``Apparatus for Fastening and Loosening a Lid from a Container,'' filed May 20, 2005. Foreign rights are also available (PCT/US2005/017728). The United States Government, as represented by the Secretary of the Army, has rights in this invention.

The Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of the Interior and the State of Florida are proposing to establish the interim goals for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan through the Interim Goals Agreement as required by Section 385.38(d) of the Programmatic Regulations for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. Interim goals are a mean by which restoration success of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan may be evaluated at specific points by agency managers, the State of Florida, and Congress throughout the overall planning and implementation process. The public is invited to review and comment on the final draft of this Agreement.

The Defense Business Board (DBB) will meet in open session on Wednesday, December 6, 2006 at the Pentagon, Washington, DC from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The mission of the DBB is to advise the Secretary of Defense on effective strategies for implementation of best business practices of interest to the Department of Defense. At this meeting, the Board will deliberate on recommendations formulated from the Board's review of past DBB reports. The focus of the meeting will be to provide actionable steps to bring prior DBB recommendations to fruition.

On October 23, 2006 the Department of Defense published a notice on Base Closure and Realignment. This notice corrects an error in the telephone number for Fort Hayes Memorial USARC.

The CNO Executive Panel will form consensus advice for the final report on the findings and recommendations of the Global Governance Subcommittee to the CNO. The meeting will consist of discussions of the U.S. Navy's emerging missions and relationships with non-military organizations.

This notice announces the following proposed changes to Rules 9(e), 14, 19(a)(5), 19(b)(3), 19(g), 22(b)(3), 26(b), 37(c)(1), and 41(a) of the Rules of Practice and Procedure, United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces for public notice and comment. New language is in bold print. Language to be deleted is marked by a strikethrough.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork ReductionAct of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Federal Acquisition Regulation(FAR) Secretariat will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget(OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of a currently approvedinformation collection requirement concerning Defense Production ActAmendments. A request for public comments was published in the Federal Register at 71 FR 38866, July 10, 2006. No commentswere received. The clearancecurrently expires on October 31, 2006. Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection ofinformation is necessary for the proper performance of functions of theFAR, and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate ofthe public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and basedon valid assumptions and methodology; ways to enhance the quality, utility,and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways in which we canminimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are torespond, through the use of appropriate technological collection techniquesor other forms of information technology.